Tucker and Dale VS Evil

A group of college kids are en route to the woods for some good old debauchery when they had to pull over at a highway stop and load up on beer. There, they meet two hillbillies, Tucker (Alan Tudyk, Wash from Firefly and Serenity) and Dale (Tyler Labine, Sock from Reaper) who also happen to be on their way to the woods to fix up their vacation home – which is really more like a ramshackle shit of a place than a vacation home. Dale is immediately smitten with the gorgeous Allison (Katrina Bowden, Cerie from 30 Rock) and tries to talk to her but only succeeds at freaking her out and her friends instead. After all, aren’t hillbillies often portrayed as psychopathic killers in horror movies? I mean, isn’t that what it’s like in Texas Chainsaw Massacre? In The Hills Have Eyes? In Wrong Turn? They have all the reason in the world to be afraid because THIS SHIT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!

Not in this movie, though. Our hillbillies are actually the best of friends and just about the most kind-hearted people you’ll meet. As the kids reach their destination, Dale and Tucker proceed to work on their shack, completely oblivious of the serial killer aesthetic of the house. Dave ends up rescuing Allison from drowning and brings her back to the house. Hilarity ensues as the kids began to believe that the hillbillies are about to kill Allison and attempts to get her back, inadvertently killing themselves in the process. Meanwhile, Dale and Tucker are convinced that these goddamned crazy college kids are on a suicide pact.

What I love about this movie is that it’s obviously funny, but the kills are fucking gory and bloody as hell. There’s some CGI which always puts me off because I prefer practical effects, though nothing really major to keep me from enjoying it. I also love the dynamics between Tucker and Dale. Call it corny, but I like horror movies that have a love or friendship theme going on. I don’t know, maybe because there’s so much more at stake that I end up really rooting for the fuckers to survive.

The rest of the characters are cardboard cutouts of every horror movie cliche (the drinking, the pot, the skinny dipping) but that’s fine by me. What I’m not too crazy about is the villain. He’s just so weak, so lame, and not even the twist (yeah, sorry) can save him. I have no problem about the back story, it’s the actor that I find off. He’s not slasher material and I just wish they had someone else play the part, someone more convincing. I don’t need every villain to be Freddy or Jason or Michael, I just want my bad guy to be scary as shit when in full killer mode.

Apart from that little bit, Tucker and Dale VS Evil is perfect and one of the most fun horror movies I’ve seen in a while. After watching A Serbian Film (and that’s several months back), I’m going to need a shitload of fun horror movies to cleanse my palate.